Capel and Company Back at It

Oct. 12, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma men's basketball team held its first "official" practice of the 2007-08 season Friday evening as college teams around the country were allowed to begin full-fledged workouts.

The Sooners got a leg up on many of their peers in late August when the squad practiced 10 times in preparation for a four-game Labor Day weekend exhibition trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. That experience made Friday's two-hour-and-15-minute practice a little bit smoother.

"Because of our work leading up to the Canada trip, I almost feel like I know everything that's going on now," said freshman forward Blake Griffin, OU's leading scorer and rebounder in Vancouver. "Other than some of the new plays, nothing is really that new. I feel like I'm more involved and everything runs a lot smoother. I feel a lot more comfortable."

"Right now we're just trying to get back in a groove and start working toward learning plays, executing, running the floor and rebounding. We're working toward that first game."

Two Sooners who did not make the trip to Canada due to injury practiced on Friday. Junior guard Austin Johnson (back) and sophomore guard Tony Crocker (leg) have been cleared by the OU medical staff and were in high gear for the team's first workout.

Head coach Jeff Capel said he feels having a year at OU under his belt is already serving as a major benefit.

"I know our team so much better this year than I did last year," said Capel. "Last year heading into our first practice, I was just trying to figure everyone out. I was trying to learn everyone, trying to learn their games. And they were trying to figure out what a practice under me was going to be like.

"So I feel like we know each other better. Our older guys can possibly teach our younger guys a little bit more now. There's more familiarity with everything."

The Sooners will have more opportunities to get better acquainted with each other this weekend as they are scheduled to practice again on Saturday and twice on Sunday.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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